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Health & Fitness

How Would New Jersey Alimony Reform Affect Permanent Alimony?

At the Law Offices of Edward R. Weinstein, L.L.C., we continue to monitor perhaps the greatest overhaul of New Jersey Divorce law in the history of the state; New Jersey Alimony Reform

As a New Jersey divorce attorney, I have learned that one of many goals of New Jersey Alimony Reform is the end the concept of permanent alimony in NJ.  This potential new law would limit the length of alimony that a spouse would have to pay strictly contingent upon the length of the marriage. 

Simply put, alimony payments would automatically end upon their reaching reasonable retirement age (i.e., 65 to 67 years of age).  Moreover, the only time that a judge could even consider ordering someone to pay permanent alimony would be a marriage of at least 20 years and even then, their would be no guarantee. 

This is not the present state of the laws of New Jersey Alimony, which forces some people to continue to pay alimony well into their 70s.  This seemingly endless obligation is the genesis of the Reformists cause (along with the great discretion that Courts now have when deciding how much alimony one must pay).  

A recent case provides a great example.  In Gnall v. Gnall, the New Jersey Appellate Division proclaimed that a marriage of 15 years qualified for permanent alimony.  This was ordered even though the parties married when they were very young and were only 41 years of age at the time that their divorce began.  The Court’s decision goes into great detail as to why, under the present state of New Jersey Alimony laws, that this is equitable.  

Needless to say, supporters of New Jersey Alimony Reform are using this brand new case as a cause celebre to further their cause. A review of their Facebook page demonstrates this notion loud and clear.   Something tells me that the legislatures who are presently studying NJ Alimony Reform have already been made aware of this recent turn of events.

For more information, please visit our website at www.weinsteinlawoffice.com or call for your free consultation at (732) 246-0909.

When your family is in crisis, you need an expert by your side to walk you through the legal process. At the Law Offices of Edward R. Weinstein, our mission is to aggressively protect your rights with great compassion for your individual circumstances. 

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